TWO WEEKS AFTER THE EARTHQUAKES... (more info and pics in the article, I just quoted a few parts)
A rescue worker, grinning from ear to ear,
pulls a reluctant cat from the arms of his trapped owner, university student Kerem Cetin, in a video from Türkiye's Hatay province.
Only one of Mr Cetin's hands were visible from under the rubble where he remained trapped after his home collapsed in a series of devastating earthquakes that began in Türkiye and Syria two weeks ago.
The emergency crew said
Mr Cetin had asked them to please save his cat Strawberry first, before they dug him free.
The ecstatic rescuer hugged Strawberry and transferred her to safety before freeing Mr Cetin — a rare moment of hope amid the devastation that has so far claimed the lives of more than 47,000 people.
While emergency teams work around the clock to save people, volunteers from animal shelters in Türkiye and Syria have also saved thousands of pets inlcuding cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, aquarium fish and turtles.
Horses, donkeys, sheep, chickens and other livestock also suffered injuries or were trapped after their barns collapsed.
In opposition held areas of Syria, the Syrian Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets, have been rescuing both animals and people from the rubble.
Volunteer Ismail al Abdullah said they had rescued everything from cats to cows with each requiring different techniques.
[...]
Ms Gardner said housing rescued animals was a challenge as shelters were already at capacity and rehoming pets after a disaster was difficult because few people are in any position to care for them.
"The immediate disaster is now, but the recovery of these communities, it's going to take many months or years," she said adding that "long-term" support is crucial to the survival of these rescued animals.
"Having sustained donations is really what is going to help animals long-term in Türkiye and Syria.
"We don't want families to be separated because they can't afford a bag of dog food. We want to be able to keep them together."
Prayers of gratitude for all those amazing souls who are doing all they can
I needed to see this today, maybe you did too.